UNCW Student Today, Alumni Tomorrow

I’m Chelsey, a UNCW student and new intern here at the Alumni Relations Office. I came to UNCW in the fall of 2006; and as a fifth year senior I am proud to say that I will be graduating in December! Graduating college... WOW, I cannot believe that my childhood dreams of being a college girl are about to end. Let me first say that I enjoy college and sometimes wish I could remain a student forever. I have wonderful friends, amazing mentors, a great sorority, and an awesome major in communications studies.

Chelsey Allen (right) with sorority sisters.

During my junior year, I contemplated adding a professional writing certificate to boost my journalism minor. All I needed was an internship and 2 credits, so I made a list of pros and cons. Ultimately, my plan was to earn my degree from UNCW then move to NYC and get some type of adult job that you see in the movies. After the economy shift and the reality that I will not be safely submerged in classes forever, I became nervous about my approaching graduation.  Deciding to add the writing certification eased my fear of graduation by giving me more time to figure things out, and making me more competitive in my field.

Job searching is a challenging time for fresh graduates and landing that first “real world” job can be especially daunting. Yet I know that with my ambitious nature and experiences through my internship, I will succeed. Stay tuned for more updates about the final months of life as a UNCW student and the transition to alumni!